Perspectives on the beautiful game of soccer; fueled by enormous amounts of coffee

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

If you were U.S.Soccer

How would you respond to this email that I got?

US Soccer should be ashamed at not heavily promoting the USWNT final send-off game at the Home Depot Center on August 25 (or any of the games). My family and I were among the only 7000 cheering fans. We're big fans of the WNT so we aware of the match on the schedule. Our team played with such intensity for the crowd but what must they have thought of their Country that in the greater Los Angeles area they could only get 7000 fans to send them off? Our club or our AYSO region was not aware to promote this match to their players. This is such an easy way to reach the thousands of young female players across the country.

Nike's ad about the WNT being the "greatest team you've never heard of" is a slam on US Soccer's ineptitude to make the soccer community and the rest of the nation aware of our great team. They deserve the support of the nation and it falls to to the US Soccer organization. I'm sure when our team wins the Cup, they will maybe get a small article in the back of most sport sections. But there will be no big parade, no White House visit to the President, and no leading story on Sports Center. And US Soccer will gloat at their victory. Shame on you US Soccer.

Come on. HBO does a whole special on them, they're on ESPN for virtually every match, and the players hawk everything under the sun. The sad fact is that women's soccer is just not popular DESPITE all the USSF's promotion, not because of a lack of hype.

National team friendly games are overpriced, both for men & women. Bring the prices down until you fill up the stadiums. That's how to get more teams and families out.

I'm a Galaxy season ticket holder, and the schedule of games is crowded right now. Just couldn't justify the cost of another ticket, another drive to the HDC, another parking fee. I watched with great interest on TV, and wish the women the best. They are a great team and fun to watch and should represent us well whatever the result at the World Cup.

The Men's team ain't exactly packing them in for their friendlies either unless the team is Mexico or Brazil (or it's in the Bay Area ;)). I've personally dealt with Soccer House on a fan level several times, and to say we get shorted as fans is an understatement.

I'm sure as long as they get their juicy kickback from Ticketmaster, we can rot.

The problem is that with every single game they go to major markets. Why? I am telling you if the USWNT or US Under-20 Team went to a small sports hungry markets they would do better than LA, NY or any big city that they are competing against 18 over things that day. Even the USMNT games that are not Brazil or Mexico should go to smaller markets, which they have started to do Nashville, Hartford...

The problem is that with every single game they go to major markets. Why? I am telling you if the USWNT or US Under-20 Team went to a small sports hungry markets they would do better than LA, NY or any big city that they are competing against 18 over things that day. Even the USMNT games that are not Brazil or Mexico should go to smaller markets, which they have started to do Nashville, Hartford...

Eh, I'm a fan of hockey, boxing and football/soccer. I live in the U.S. As such, I have come to accept and embrace that I'm a sports outsider/reject. I take it as a sign of my superior intelligence and sophistication, as should you. And really, you're talking soccer and women ... during the time when the nation is getting ready for the NFL and NCAA football (Fight On!). US Soccer can only do so much.

If the women win The Cup, you can rest assured that they will indeed get a parade (I couldn't guess where ... probably wherever the Ducks had theirs) and, depending on the criminal docket for the NFL that day, they may lead Sport Center (definitely if attire is shed). Most importantly, they will meet the President (Yay!).

Sorry. You can't make me, a male hardcore soccer fan in that highly sought after 18-35 demographic care about women's soccer. It's great that they have a team and all, but....it's slower and with far less skill. I remember watching every US WNT game of the 99 WC with Hamm, Foudy, Lily, Chastain et al in their supposed prime. And still the women's game does not even have 1 player who can match the skill of a Kaka, Dani Alves, etc. The play bored me to tears.

I have to admit with the style of play the way it is of late, I've almost been watching the team out of obligation more than active interest in the game.

The team has two things going against it in this country. One, it's women's sports, which hardly anyone watches. It sucks, but it's a fact. Two, it's soccer, a sport which too many Americans feel an obligation to either ignore or revile for ludicrous reasons. There's not much the USSF can do about those things.

However, I have noticed a distinct difference between the "internal" promotion of last year's World Cup and this year's Women's World Cup. It seemed last year that Studio 90 was a huge deal, promoting the hell out of an ultimately under-performing (or perhaps just plain sucky) team with Neil Buethe's disturbingly large head and cringe-inducing voice reporting to us every time Landon Donovan had a bowel movement. The women don't get nearly so much love.

On the other hand, it's not like this team is taken very seriously. I think if it were, there might have been some discussion in the media as to why some players were continually chosen for residency camp and ultimately made this WWC roster.

Could it be that US Soccer just doesn't think it's worth the effort be cause the WC is in China and we probably won't see a lot of Americans travel there (and spend money on US Soccer products)?

Let's face it US Soccer is inept at best promoting anything they touch (USMT, US Open Cup). So, it doesn't surprise me that they can get only 7,000 people in the stands for this sendoff. I was one of the few who attended the match in Chicago and thankfully, the women's players have always been very grateful for the fans they do have.

I remember watching them play in a high school stadiums back in '96 & '97 with crowds of 3,000 and the players still played hard, signed everything put before them, and smiled for every picture.

At this point, as then, they do it for the love of the game. Good for you and your family that you supported them.